Method of recording digital information on an array of equally spaced micromirrors

ABSTRACT

A method of recording digital information on a thermoplastic substrate having an array of equally-spaced microscopic optically-alterable mirrors each supported by a mesa projecting from one surface of the substrate. The mirrors may be formed of a composite of gold and SiO 2 . Recording is by laser beam that reduces the reflectivity of selected mirrors. Each mirror is capable of recording one or more bits of digital information. After exposure, the mirrors retain enough reflectivity to be distinguishable from the intervening valleys. The mirrors serve as timing and tracking markers prior to and during recording, and during read-out. The area and location of each information bit is determined prior to recording: not as a result of the recording process. The mirrors may be scanned along parallel rows or diagonally across the rows.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a division of Application Ser. No. 06/700,735 filedFeb. 11, 1985 now abandoned entitled SYSTEM FOR RECORDING DIGITALINFORMATION USING A REGULAR ARRAY OF DISCRETE MICROMIRRORS.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to digital recording media and more particularlyto high capacity recording media for optical recording and read-out.

2. Description of the Related Art

Digital information has been recorded on many kinds of materials by awide variety of processes. One widely used system magnetizes selectedareas of a disk of magnetic material to represent the information to bepreserved. Other approaches, used primarily when greater recordingdensity is desired, include the use of a substrate coated with amaterial capable of being changed by selective treatment with a laserbeam. For example, the substrate may have a reflective surface that iscaused to have lower reflectivity in those areas where it is heated by afocused laser beam. Conversely, non-reflecting absorbent surfaces havebeen rendered reflective by the application of a laser beam as describedin Optical Memory News, Sep.-Oct. 1984, page 14. The reflectivity of thesurface may be altered by melting or deforming the surface or by actualevaporation of material from the surface. Most often, the medium is inthe form of a disk and the information is recorded along a spiral track.The timing and tracking information may also be recorded by a modulatedlaser beam following the spiral track.

U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,214,249 to Kasai; 4,270,916 to Dil; 4,379,299 toFitzpatrick et al.; 4,314,262 to Reilly; 4,334,299 to Komurasaki et al.disclose media of the kinds referred to above.

The Dil patent discloses recording on a disk having a grooved spiral andin which timing marks are recorded on the sloping walls of the grooves.

The Kasai patent discloses the recording of digital information by theselective exposure to a laser beam that causes deformation orevaporation of a layer composed of S, Se, Te, or chalcogenide compoundsthereof. The rate of recording is limited by the heat conductivity ofthe medium.

The Fitzpatrick patent describes a digital writing process in which afilm of semiconductor material, such as cadmium telluride, on asubstrate of plastic such as methylmethacrylate or polycarbonate, isexposed to a recording laser beam that heats the plastic substrate toproduce a pressurized gas bubble that bursts the overlying semiconductorleaving a pit or hole in the reflective surface that represents one bitof information. The rate at which information can be recorded is limitedby the amount of heat required to cause the eruption and the heatconductivity of the recording medium.

The Reilly patent describes a recording medium formed by a thincontinuous layer of metal in which bits of data are recorded byalterations produced with focused spots of laser light. A transparentdielectric coating is provided to increase the light absorption of themetal layer.

The Komurasaki patent describes a real-time monitor for use with arecording medium comprising a continuous film of metal such as bismuth,gold or chromium which is selectively melted or vaporized by a focusedlight beam to record one bit of information.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,380,769 to Thomas et al. describes the recording ofinformation by the thermal deformation of a continuous thin film ofamorphous material carried by a plastic substrate. Individualdepressions surrounded by sharply defined ridges are produced in theamorphous film.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,334,233 to Murakami describes a dust-protecting shieldover the substrate that minimizes information distortion that mightotherwise occur because of dust particles on the recording medium.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,428,075 to Hazel describes a preformatted disk in whichsynchronization marks are recorded in areas separate from the datarecording areas. These tracking and timing marks are distinct from thealterations that represent bits of data and, to the extent they occupyspace that could otherwise be used for digital storage, reduce thecapacity of the disk.

The formation of arrays having microscopic relief patterns is known inthe photographic field where such techniques are used to reducevariations in image density. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,366,299 to Land and4,402,571 to Cowan et al. discuss the formation of spaced discrete holesusing a photoresist that is exposed twice to the interference patternsof two laser beams, one exposure being below the threshold for thedevelopment of the photoresist. Land also describes for photographicpurposes the formation of peaks coated with silver as one step information of a silver halide coating. The structure proposed by Landdoes not lend itself to the recording of digital information.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,019,124 to Rogers discloses a method of manufacturingphotographic elements by applying a first light sensitive layer in auniform thickness to a support, embossing the coated layer to form arelief impression having systematically arranged spaced elevatedsections joined by depressed sections interspersed between them, andapplying a second light sensitive layer having a different spectralsensitivity to fill the depressions remaining in the surface to thelevel of raised sections.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,362,806 to Whitmore describes a photographic substratecomprising an array of microvessels that are filled with variousphotographic materials. The object is to reduce lateral image spreadingby providing a discontinuous recording substrate. The microvessels areseparated only by minute distances that play no part in the recapture ofinformation. Any appreciable thickness of the walls separating themicrovessels detracts from the continuous image that is the object ofthe Whitmore disclosure. The recording is done over mass areas and themicrovessel walls are used to prevent undesired lateral spreading of thephotographic image. Whitmore suggests electronically scanning thephotographic elements to read information in digital format. Whitmorealso discloses modifying the microvessels by scanning with a laser beamto alter the character of selected microvessels by melting, sublimationor change in viscosity. The microvessels of Whitmore require subsequentphotographic processing to provide optically readable information.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A digital recording medium has discrete spaced individually-alterablestorage elements which, in one embodiment, in the unaltered state, aretiny mirror surfaces, sometimes called here "micromirrors", arranged ina substantially regular array in a plane spaced from a reference planeof a supporting substrate. Each micromirror is supported by a mesaextending from the substrate so that the micromirrors are separated byvalleys or indentations between the mesas. Each micromirror isindividually optically alterable to store one or more bits ofinformation. The substrate may be protected from contaminates by a layerof transparent material of substantial thickness that minimizes theeffect of dust particles. The array of micromirrors is arranged to bescanned by a recording device and subsequently, without furtherprocessing, by a reading device.

Information is recorded by causing a change in the reflectivity of theselected micromirrors, for example, by subjecting the surface of eachselected micromirror to an infrared light beam of sufficient intensityto materially reduce the reflectivity of the mirror. Each micromirror,by having one of two or more levels of reflectivity, becomes adepository for one or more bits of digital information.

The regular spacing of the array of micromirrors enables them to serveboth as tracking and timing markers prior to and during recording andread-out. In effect, the medium itself acts as an optical encoder forthe scanning device. This arrangement permits variations in the scanningvelocity, a particular advantage when reciprocating scanning proceduresare used. The micromirrors may be used to control the scanning path,both for recording and read-out, by centering the beam along the path ofmaximum reflection.

The use of an array of regularly spaced discrete reflective micromirrorsmakes it possible to test the recording medium for defects prior torecording and authenticate its quality. In a practical way, thiseliminates the need for monitoring the recording process because thechance of failing to record on a mesa having the required level ofreflectivity is small.

The reduction in reflectivity of exposed micromirrors results from theabsorption of sufficient energy to change the mirror coating itself orto distort the thermoplastic mesa supporting the mirror. Thereflectivity of the recorded micromirrors preferably is not reduced tozero, but rather only enough that it can be readily distinguished as arecorded micromirror, the reflectivity of the recorded micromirrorremaining greater than that of the valleys separating the micromirrors.

In another embodiment, the micromirrors are formed on the bottomsurfaces of spaced indentations in a first surface of a sheet of clearsubstrate. Viewed from the second surface of the substrate, theindentations become mesas supporting the micromirrors. The recording andreading light beams are focused on the micromirrors through the secondsurface of the substrate.

In a preferred embodiment, the recorded medium is moved linearly along afull row of micromirrors, while a small transverse oscillation of theread-out light beam maintains the lateral position of the recordedmedium such that the read-out beam on the average, tracks theapproximate center of the row of mirrors being scanned. At the end ofeach linear scan, from end to end of the row of micromirrors, therecorded medium is moved laterally one row and then moved linearly inthe opposite direction. The arrangement of the micromirrors permits awide choice in the selection of a particular read-out procedure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 is an enlarged diagrammatic top view of a small section of arecording medium embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view along line 2--2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a partial perspective view of the recording medium shown inFIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 4 is a reproduction of a scanning electron micrograph of therecording medium of FIGS. 1-3 at a magnification of 10,000X;

FIG. 5 is a reproduction of a scanning electron micrograph of anembossed layer of PVC for use in fabricating the recording medium;

FIG. 6 is a reproduction of a photograph of a video image of the mediumtaken from a video screen at a magnification of 1,750X;

FIG. 7 shows a section of the medium of FIGS. 1-3 including atransparent protective shield and in which a filler is placed in thevalleys between the mirrors;

FIG. 8 is a partial sectional view of another embodiment of therecording medium in which the protective shield and the substrate areformed integrally from a single sheet of plastic;

FIG. 9 shows diagrammatically a source of laser light and the associatedoptics and detectors for recording on and reading from the medium;

FIG. 10 illustrates diagrammatically a preferred scanning sequence forboth recording and read-out; and

FIG. 11 illustrates the use of the micromirrors for tracking duringrecording and read-out.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The drawings are not to scale and various elements have been exaggeratedfor purposes of illustration. In the various figures, similar elementsare indicated by the same numerals or by the same numerals followed byan identifying letter suffix.

As illustrated by FIGS. 1-3, a recording medium, generally indicated at2, in this example, is in the form of a rectangular plastic card about 2by 3.5 inches which is capable of recording more than 800 megabits ofdigital information. The medium comprises a substrate or base element 4having an array of uniformly spaced micromirrors 6, each supported by aminute projection or mesa 8 extending from one surface of the substrate4. The projections 8 are integrally formed as part of the substrate 4,which may be formed of thermoplastic material, and are separated byvalleys, generally indicated at 10.

The projections or mesas 8 which support the micromirrors 6 serve twofunctions to provide thermal isolation between adjacent mirrors and toprovide a light sink between the mirrors in the form of the valleys 10.The height of the projections 8 above the substrate 4 is not criticaland is typically between 0.5 and 2.5 micrometers. The projections 8, inthis example, are arranged in the array to provide one storage elementfor each two micrometers along each row of mirrors.

The thickness of the substrate 4 is not critical but may be of the orderof 100 or more times the height of the mesas 8. The mirrors 6, which liein a common plane, are of material capable of reflecting laser light.Each micromirror is of sufficient size and flatness to function as aneffective mirror at the frequency of light being used to read the datafrom the medium. The mirrors may be formed by coating the tops of eachmesa 8 with a layer of reflective material capable of absorbingsufficient energy to permit a low power laser beam to reducesignificantly the reflectivity of the micromirror with an exposure ofless than about one microsecond. The preferred mirror coating is acomposite formed of gold and silicon dioxide. The mirrors 6 should be asflat as possible and the surface variations should be limited to afraction of a wavelength of the incident light, for example, fromone-fifth to one-tenth of a wavelength. For the present purposes, amirror capable of reflecting 20-25% or more of the incident light to beused for readout is defined as a " flat mirror". Each micromirror iscapable of immediately detectable alteration, for example, by exposureto a source of focused energy, such as a laser beam, by which is meantthe alteration takes place substantially immediately upon such exposureand may be detected without further processing such as is required inphotographic and other indirect processes.

Preferably, the micromirrors 6 form a regular array as illustrated byFIG. 1. By a regular array is meant an array in which the storageelements are equally spaced in parallel rows preferably separated by adistance equal to the distance between adjacent storage elements in therows. With this arrangement, the medium can be tested for defects priorto recording by scanning the surface of the medium with anon-destructive laser beam and measuring the reflectivity from eachmicromirror. The reflective and absorptive capacity of the micromirroris a function of the amount of coated material on the mesa, therefore,if each micromirror is confirmed for reflectivity, the medium can becertified for recording with a high degree of assurance that therecording will be accurate. During this pre-test, the physical position,as well as the reflectivity, of each micromirror is verified. This maybe done by any desired mode of scanning in which the distance betweenmicromirrors is verified, as by a counting device related to the speedof the beam scan.

Each micromirror 6 represents one bit of information. Note that the sizeof each bit of information is determined prior to recording: it is notthe recording device that determines either the position or size of theinformation bits. With this arrangement, the micromirrors 6 themselvesprovide the tracking guides for pre-testing, recording, and read-out.The data can be packed with maximum density because no allowance isrequired for variations in laser spot size during recording. Thetolerances permitted in the area of the focus of the laser beam at theplane of the mirrors are thus greater than in those arrangements wherethe position and size of each recorded bit is determined by the actionof the laser beam. The maximum surface dimension o each micromirror ispreferably between 1 and 2.5 micrometers and the minimum dimensionshould not be less than the wavelength of the light being used forreading. For special applications, the mirror size may be less than onemicrometer or substantially greater than 2.5 micrometers. For mostapplications, where density of recording is important, the area of themicromirror preferably is between 0.7 and about 5 square micrometers.

The reflecting area of the micromirrors 6 may be round, square,rectangular or any other desired shape. It is convenient, however, toprovide a regular array of generally round reflecting surfaces equallyspaced in parallel rows, such as result from the example set forthbelow. Each micromirror preferably has an original reflectivity of atleast 20% of the particular laser light being used. After exposure tothe laser beam to destroy the reflectivity, the reflection preferably issignificantly less than 20% or at least significantly less than thereflectivity of the original mirror surface.

In one system, preferred for many typical applications, the roundmicromirrors of one micrometer diameter are spaced one micrometer apartand a recording laser beam is arranged to scan the mirrors at a speed ofabout two meters per second to record data at a one megabit/second rate.If a higher data rate is desired, a faster scanning speed can be used.The micromirrors preferably are spaced as closely as possible in thearray, for maximum storage capacity, but the dimensions of each mirrormust be large enough to permit it to function as a mirror at thewavelength of light being used.

EXAMPLE

The following is an example of the steps in the preparation of therecording medium embodying the present invention. A photoresist reliefpattern comprising a square array of flat bottoms with tapered peaks,with center-to-center spacing of about 2 micrometers (see FIGS. 4, 5 and6) was prepared as follows. Positive photoresist (Shipley AZ-1450J,manufactured by Shipley Company, Inc. Newton, Mass.) was spin coated ona glass plate to a thickness of several micrometers. The plate was thenexposed to an argon laser interference pattern using a glass prism tosplit the beam and to recombine the two halves, thus forming a series ofspaced parallel interference lines at the photoresist target. Theexposure was through the glass plate so the greatest exposure was at thebottom of the layer of the photo-resist.

After a three-minute exposure, the plate was rotated 90 degrees andexposed a second time, as described by M. T. Gale in OpticsCommunications, Volume 18, No. 3, August 1976, page 295. The plate wasthen developed for twenty seconds in Shipley developer. FIG. 4 is areproduction of a scanning electron micrograph, at a magnification of10,000X, of the photoresist pattern, tilted at an angle of about 45°.This micrograph shows partly etched saddle points between adjacentpeaks, indicating that each exposure was above the threshold fordevelopment of the photoresist. It shows also that at the intersectionof the lines, etching of the photoresist extends to the surface of theglass plate. The flat surfaces thus created are important because theywill define the flat substrate of the reflective micromirrors of theoptical recording medium.

A nickel mold was made from the photoresist plate, prepared as above.This process is described in National Geographic, March 1984, page 373.A second generation nickel electroform was made from the original nickelmaster. The second generation nickel had contours corresponding to thoseof the photoresist plate and served as a stamper to reproduce thepattern by embossing sheets of plastic.

An array of flat-topped plastic mesas was produced by embossing a sheetof PVC plastic with the nickel stamper, described above, in a CarverLaboratory press, Model C, manufactured by Fred C. Inc., MenomoneeFalls, Wis. The nickel stamper was placed, contoured side up, on a sheetof lead on the lower stage of the press. A sheet of 10 mil thick glossyblack PVC plastic, obtained from Ridout Plastics, San Diego, Calif., wasplaced over the nickel stamper. The press was pumped to a pressure of20,000 pounds and the lower heating unit was raised to a temperature of250 degrees Fahrenheit. The heater in the upper platen was not energizedwhile the heat from the lower unit penetrated the lead, nickel andplastic. When the thermometer in the upper platen read 200° F., thelower heater was turned off and the 20,000 pounds pressure wasmaintained during cooling. When the temperature in the upper unit haddropped to 150° F., the pressure was released and the PVC was peeledfrom the nickel stamper. A bright diffraction pattern was visible on theembossed PVC. FIG. 5 is a reproduction of a scanning electron micrographof the embossed PVC at a magnification of 10,000X tilted at an angle ofabout 45°.

A reflective material was then coated on the embossed surface of thePVC. This material was chosen to be both reflective enough to permitidentification as a micromirror by an optical reading device and alsocapable of absorbing sufficient laser energy to melt or cause distortionof the plastic substrate during data recording. The preferred materialis a metal and ceramic composite of gold and silicon dioxide. Suchmaterials, known as cermets, have been used for thin film resistors andin light absorbing applications such as solar collectors. The Au-SiO₂system is described in the Handbook of Thin Film Technology,McGraw-Hill, 1983, chapter 18, page 21.

The cermet layer, coated on glossy clear polyester, has about four timesgreater absorbancy at 830 nm than a pure gold layer on the samesubstrate. The cermet is also significantly more sensitive to alterationof reflectivity by laser light. A pure gold layer showed no response topulses of several microseconds, at a power level of about 5 milliwatts.Under the same conditions, the cermet coating showed significant changesin reflectivity in response to pulses of less than one microsecond.

Finally, cermet was sputter coated on the embossed PVC describedearlier. This storage medium showed visible changes in reflectivity atpulse durations of less than 0.3 microseconds at the same 5 milliwattpower level.

FIG. 6 is a reproduction of a photograph of a sample of the recordingmedium comprising an array of individually alterable micromirrors ofAu-SiO₂ on embossed PVC plastic. The photograph was from a TV monitorattached to an optical system providing a magnification of about 1750Xon the screen. Some of the micromirrors in a row near the bottom havebeen exposed to a 0.5 microsecond pulse from an 830 nm diode laser, at apower level of about 5 milliwatts. The darkened spots are clearlyvisible as areas of significantly lower reflectivity in response to thelaser pulses.

In this test, the response to the recording laser beam was only alongthe rows of micromirrors, not between them. If only a portion of amicromirror is exposed to the laser beam, the entire micromirror willstill melt or be distorted, although somewhat more slowly. Theseproperties are especially advantageous in optical data recording becausethe recorded spot size and location is less sensitive to variations inthe laser spot size and alignment.

In reading a previously recorded area of the medium, it is desirable tobe able to distinguish between three levels of illumination: the levelrepresented by an untreated micromirror retaining its originalreflectivity, the level represented by a micromirror that has beentreated by the laser beam to destroy its reflectivity, and thereflectivity represented by the valleys 10 between the mesas 8. Theareas between the mesas have no reflecting surface in the plane of themicromirrors 6, so that the reflection is reduced by dispersion of thebeam at positions beyond the focal point of the beam. The untreatedareas of the medium 2 between the mesas will also have an inherentlylower reflectivity than the micromirrors 6 even though some of thesputtered mirror coating material is deposited in the valley areas.Generally, therefore, it is not desirable to eliminate all reflectivityof the micromirrors 6, but to reduce it only enough to make it readilydistinguishable from the untreated micromirrors. This allows recordedmicromirrors to continue to serve as tracking and timing markers. Inthis example, the unaltered micromirrors have a reflectivity greaterthan 20% at 830 nm and a laser power of about 3.2 nanojoules per squaremicrometer is sufficient to reduce the reflectivity of the mirrorcoating by the desired amount. Other kinds or quantities of mirrorcoatings can be used that require higher recording energy, but it ispreferable that the micromirror be destroyed by exposure to focusedenergy no greater than 200 nanojoules per square micrometer.

It is important to provide a mirror surface that is relatively immune tooxidation or discoloration or dulling from other causes. It is importantalso, to provide a surface that is affected only minimally by dust orother contaminates. For those reasons, a layer of transparent material,generally indicated at 12 in FIG. 7, is positioned over the surface ofthe mesas 8. This layer, which may be formed of polyester, polycarbonateor other transparent plastic, is in contact with the micromirrors 6 andis of substantial thickness (100 or more times the height of the mesas6) so that, during recording and read-out by a laser beam focused on themicromirrors 6, the converging laser beam covers a significant area atthe point where it enters the layer 12 and so minimizes the effect of adust particle on the surface of the layer 12.

A filler 14, which may be a liquid such as oil, fills the valleys 10 anddisplaces any air that would otherwise be trapped between themicromirror surfaces and the layer 12. The liquid is preferably selectedwith an index of refraction near that of the plastic from which thelayer 12 is formed to avoid any undesirable reflection of the laserbeam. The filler 14 may remain as a liquid or it may be composed of aliquid plastic accompanied by a catalyst so that after the filler is inposition the plastic solidifies. Alternatively the filler may be a UVcurable polymer. With any of the filler compositions, it is desirable toadd an infrared absorbing dye to the filler to further reduce anyreflection from the valleys 10. Such dyes are well known in the priorart.

In general, the recording of data by altering the reflectivity ofselected micromirrors results in each micromirror having only one of twopossible states, that is, the micromirror reflects the incident light asa mirror or has a reflectivity below some predetermined level and is notconsidered to be a mirror. The density of information storage can beincreased by providing for additional levels of reflectivity. Forexample, each original micromirror 6 can be constructed to have areflectivity of 40-45% at the frequency of the laser beam used for readout. A first level of intensity of the laser recording beam may beadjusted so that during the time of recording on one micromirror, thereflectivity is reduced to between 25% and 35%. To record another state,the intensity of the recording laser beam is increased sufficiently thatduring the time of exposure the reflectivity is reduced to between 10%and 20%. A single micromirror can thus be used to store any one of threeinformation indicia: (1) the mirror retains full reflectivity, that is,between 45% and 55%; (2) the reflectivity is between 25% and 35%; and(3) the reflectivity is between 10% and 20%. The valleys 10 should havea reflectivity substantially less than 10% to permit even themicromirrors with minimum reflectivity to be used as timing and trackingguides.

In an alternative embodiment, the recording medium and the overlyingplastic protective sheet are fabricated as an integral structure. Asillustrated by FIG. 8, the stamper used to form the medium 2a is thereverse of the one used to form the medium of FIGS. 1-3. In thisinstance, the mesas 8a are formed as depressions in a first surface 16of a substrate 4a formed of clear thermoplastic. The micromirrors 6a areformed by exposing the surface containing the indentations to thesputtering action of the mirror coating. The micromirrors 6a aretherefore formed on the flat surfaces at the bottoms of theindentations. However, viewed from the opposite side, in the directionof the arrow 18, the indentations appear as mesas with the mirrorcoating on the flat tops.

The micromirrors 6a are exposed to the recording and reading laserbeams, in the direction of the arrow 18, through the plastic substrate4a. With this arrangement, the micromirrors 6a are in intimate contactwith substrate material providing superior protection of the reflectingsurfaces from contamination. One additional advantage of thisconstruction is that, in the process of fabrication, reflective materialthat is inevitably sputtered onto the exposed surface 16 of thesubstrate 4a, which forms the bottoms of the valleys 10a, may becompletely removed by abrading. The bottom surface of the substrate 4abetween the indentations may be provided with a layer of light absorbentmaterial thereby rendering the valleys 10a between the micromirrorssubstantially non-reflective. The plastic material of the substrate 4anow replaces the layer 12 that is a separate entity in the earlierembodiment. The plastic is continuous from the surface exposed to thelaser beam to the bottom of the valleys 10a at the surface 16 with nodisruptive reflections resulting from a change in the index ofrefraction.

One scanning procedure for recording on and reading from either of theembodiments of the medium 2 and 2a is illustrated by FIGS. 1 and 9. Asource of coherent light, such as a diode laser 22, produces a beam 24,that is first made more uniform by a collimating lens and an anamorphicprism, both indicated diagrammatically at 16, and then is focusedthrough an objective lens 32 onto the micromirrors 6. The maximumdimension of the beam in the plane of the mirrors, indicated by thebroken line 28, is preferably no greater than the cross-sectional areaof each individual mirror, and in any event small enough to distinguishone micromirror from any adjacent micromirror. The same optical systemis used for both recording and reading. The laser light reflected fromthe micromirrors is directed by a beam splitter 20 to an opticaldetector, generally indicated at 36.

One method for scanning the medium 2 is to cause the laser beam totraverse one row of micromirrors from one end of the medium 2 to theother. At the end of each row, the laser beam is caused to move to thenext row of micromirrors and to scan that row in the opposite direction.As illustrated in FIG. 1, a first row of micromirrors is scanned alongline "a" from one end of the medium to the other. The scanning beam isthen moved sideways to the next row and scans along line "b" in thereverse direction. The beam is then again moved sideways and themicromirrors scanned along line "c". A preferred procedure, however, isto scan the micromirrors diagonally as illustrated by FIG. 10 whichprovides an improved signal to noise ratio by increasing the distancebetween successive micromirrors. The equally spaced rows of micromirrorsthat make up the regular array are presented by the broken line "d" and"e". The scanning track of the laser beam 24, however, is successivelyalong lines "f", "g" and "h" which are diagonal with respect to theparallel rows of micromirros, such as "d" and "e", forming regulararray. At the end of row "f", the scanning motion is interrupted andmoved sideways in the direction the arrow "j" to place the row "g" inscanning position. The laser beam then scans that row in the reversedirection along the line "g". This process is repeated to scan theentire series of rows over the entire surface of the medium. Anend-of-row code is pre-recorded on each row and is read by the recordingand reading systems to cause the scan to move to the next row ofmicromirrors at the appropriate point.

The scanning movement along the rows may be accomplished by movingeither the entire laser and optics assembly or by moving the medium 2.In this example, because the mass of the medium 2 is only a fraction ofthat of the laser-optics assembly, there is substantial advantage inmoving the medium. The reciprocating scanning action, which results invariations in the scanning velocity, is made practical by the regulararrangement of the micromirrors which can be used to control the timingboth during recording and read-out.

The transverse movement, to move the beam from one row of micromirrorsto the next, is preferably accomplished by a sideways movement of thelaser 22 and the associated optics at the end of the scanning of eachrow of micromirrors. The sideways movement may also be accomplished bymovement of the medium, by deflection of the laser beam, or by ancombination of the two. For example, the laser beam may be deflected, bymeans well known in the art, to accommodate the scanning of apreselected number of rows and then the medium moved sideways by asimilar number of rows while the beam deflection is returned to itsoriginal position.

During the scanning, the position of either the laser beam or the medium2, or both, are controlled by the use of the micromirrors as trackingguides. During the scanning of each row of micromirrors, the beam 14 iscaused to oscillate transversely, at a frequency lower than the datarate, by a galvanometer-actuated mirror, or other means well known inthe art, for a distance at the point of focus somewhat less than thedistance across one micromirror. The transverse sweep of the scanningaction is indicated by the broken lines 38 and 42 in FIG. 11 as the scanproceeds along the centerline "k". The magnitude of the transverse scandepends upon the size of the micromirrors, the size of the scanningspot, and the distance between adjacent micromirrors. The intensity ofthe reflected light is averaged by a tracking control mechanism, whichforms part of the optical detector 36, over a substantial number ofmicromirrors before changing the direction of oscillation, in order toimprove the tracking precision. The tracking control mechanism maintainsthe beam 24 centered on the row of micromirrors being scanned. If theaverage intensity of the reflected beam when it is deflected, say, tothe right, as diagrammatically illustrated at 44, is less than theaverage intensity when deflected an equal distance in the oppositedirection, the beam 24 is adjusted toward the left to move it nearer thecenter line of the micromirrors. If desired, the area of the beam 24 inthe focus plane may be made slightly larger than the reflecting area ofone micromirror, so long as it is small enough that it cannot encompassany substantial fraction of two mirrors at the same time, so that it candetect the reflectivity of each micromirror despite small misalignmentof the read-out beam relative to the centerline of the row ofmicromirrors being scanned.

Prior to recording, the medium 2 is scanned by the laser beam 24 at lowintensity to determine whether all or substantially all of themicromirrors have the requisite reflectivity. After the medium has beencertified as free from defects, or the defects "fenced off" as describedbelow, the permanent recording is made by the laser beam 24 which has afirst level of intensity sufficient to enable the optical detector 36 todetermine the presence of a reflecting micromirror 6 on the surface of amesa 8, and a second level of intensity great enough to destroy thereflectivity of the micromirror at which it is directed. The intensityof the laser beam 24 is modulated as the recording is made to destroythe reflectivity of the mirrors in accordance with the information to berecorded.

The laser beam 24 operates at its low or reading intensity until thedetector 36 indicates the beam is focused on a micromirror. If thedigital information to be recorded indicates that particular micromirroris to be destroyed, the laser beam is pulsed to its higher recordingintensity for a period of one microsecond or less, but long enough todestroy the micromirror. If that particular micromirror is not to bedestroyed, the laser beam passes over it at the lower non-destructiveintensity leaving the reflectivity of the micromirror unchanged.

By destruction of the reflectivity is meant a lowering of thereflectivity by an amount sufficient that the optical detector 36 candetermine the difference between a micromirror that has been exposed tothe laser beam 24 at recording intensity from one that retains itsoriginal reflectivity.

If the examination of the medium prior to recording indicates relativelyfew defects, the rows of micromirrors containing defects can be "fencedoff", that is, the particular rows containing defects are marked with aspecial code that causes the scanning mechanisms used in both recordingand reading to jump immediately to the succeeding row and omit scanningthe defective areas of the medium. So long as the number of defects islimited, the loss in recording capacity is not significant. In addition,error-correcting codes which, in effect, record data in a redundantmanner in different areas can be used to overcome defects in therecording medium.

In the examples detailed here, the medium is in the form of a smallrectangular card, no more than 10-15 mils thick, well suited forreciprocal scanning modes. However, the recording array may be in theform of a drum, disk or tape and the scanning mode may be eitherreciprocating or continuous. The recording medium may be formed as aflat medium and then secured to a rotatable drum, or in shape, forrecording and read-out. otherwise altered in shape, for recording andread-out. The reference plane of the medium, that is, one of the exposedsurfaces, is considered to be parallel with the plane of themicromirrors even though both surfaces may be curved so long as the twoplanes are the same distance apart at all points.

What is claimed is:
 1. The method of recording digital informationcomprising the steps ofproviding a source of focused energy, providing asubstrate, supporting from said substrate, a plurality of rows ofdiscrete micromirrors, said rows being equally spaced from each otherand said micromirrors being equally spaced from each other within saidrows, each of said micromirrors having, prior to exposure to saidfocused energy, a smooth mirror surface with a reflectivity of at leasttwenty percent at the wavelength of said focused energy and beingcapable of an immediately detectable reduction in reflectivity byexposure to said focused energy, successively identifying the positionsof said micromirrors along a predetermined path by reflectivity of saidfocused energy, and exposing, in accordance with digital information tobe recorded, selected identified micromirrors to said source of focusedenergy of sufficient intensity to produce an immediately detectablereduction in reflectivity in each of said selected micromirrors.
 2. Themethod as claimed in claim 1 whereinsaid selected micromirrors areexposed to said focused energy successively along each of said rows, thedirection of movement of said exposure being reversed on successiverows.
 3. The method as claimed in claim 1 whereinthe distance betweensaid rows of micromirrors is equal to the distance between adjacentmicromirrors within said rows.
 4. The method as claimed in claim 1whereinsaid exposure to said focused energy is successively alongparallel paths diagonal to said rows.
 5. The method as claimed in claim4 whereinsaid substrate has a reference surface, and including the stepof supporting each of said micromirrors on a discrete mesa extendingfrom said reference surface, each of said mesas being separated fromadjacent mesas by intervening valleys.
 6. The method as claimed in claim5 wherein said medium is formed predominately of thermoplastic material.7. The method as claimed in claim 6 whereinsaid focused energy is alaser beam, and said exposure comprises the steps of, focusing said beamon said selected micromirrors thereby to destroy the micromirror andthereby record one bit of digital information.
 8. The method ofrecording digital information comprising the steps ofproviding a laserbeam, providing a substrate of thermoplastic material, depositing onsaid substrate a plurality of parallel rows of spaced, discrete,optically-alterable micromirrors, scanning a laser beam along pathsdiagonal to said rows, identifying the positions of successivemicromirrors by the reflection of said laser beam from saidmicromirrors, and modulating said laser beam, in accordance with digitalinformation to be recorded, between two levels of intensity, the higherof said intensities being great enough to destroy the reflectivity ofone of said micromirrors by exposure thereto during the scanning.